No-Sew Quilted Ornament :: D.I.Y.

Happy almost December! A couple years ago, my mom shared this quilted ornament DIY with my sister and me, and I’ve been making them as gifts for family and friends ever since. Quilter or not, these are really simple ornaments to make, they only require a little bit of time and lots of pins. Better yet, it’s a great way to use up scrap fabric and the other materials required are cheap.

I wanted to share this no-sew quilted ornament tutorial with you early on in the holiday season so that you and your crafty friends have plenty of time to learn and make your own. This project is also great to do in a group with your friends since, once you get the hang of it, it is very easy so lots of talking and drinking can happen simultaneously. Can you say craft night?

I may post additional images with the instructions, but I thought I’d get you started with what I have. If you have questions or need clarification on a step, let me know!

Forty-two 2½” squares of fabric, 3 different patterns (or you can go random, or alternating). Tightly woven cotton works best – you can buy cheap Fat Quarters at Joann’s if you don’t have scraps.

10 squares for center

16 squares for second row

16 squares for outer row

1 foot of ribbon, at least ½” wide

Lots of straight pins with flat heads (a pack of 300 will work)

Instructions:

1. Measure and cut all of your fabric squares. I highly recommend a rotary cutter & cutting mat, but scissors will work.

2. Eyeball the half-way point of the ball by placing your thumb on one side and index finger on the other. Stick a pin in each side to mark a placeholder. See Image 1.

3. Select the fabric that you want to use for the center of the design. Fold each one in half and crease in both directions to identify the center of the square. Place a pin through the right-side of the fabric at the center of the square. Pin this to the ball where you’ve marked it (and remove the placeholder pin). Place 2 squares wrong-side against the Styrofoam ball, on direct opposite sides of each other and pin to the ball at the four corners. Leave the center pin to mark your spot as a placeholder.

4. Crease another square of center fabric in half one way, then crease in half again (right side out). Open it up and place a pin from the wrong side of the fabric through the center of the square. Pin this to the center of the square on the Styrofoam ball.

5. Fold the 2 corners of the rectangle down to the center crease. Place 4 pins along the bottom edge. See Image 2.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 three more times to form Image 3. Some of the first square will show through, but that’s expected. You can now remove the center pin that served as a placeholder.

7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 on the other side of the ball.

8. Choose a second fabric. Continue with the same folding pattern but start the second row approximately 1/2 inch along the center lines of the first row. See Image 4.

9. Once the 4 main pieces are down. Begin placing the pieces on the diagonal, overlapping your first 4 triangles. Place the point of the fold on the imaginary line between the 2 pieces that have been already placed. See Image 5.

10. Flip the ball over to the other side and repeat steps 6 and 7.

11. With the third set of fabric repeat steps 8 and 10 on both sides. See
Image 6.

12. All of your pieces on both sides should meet (or slightly overlap) around the center of the ball. Pin a length of ribbon at the “top” and pull it tightly around the seam of fabrics to meet at the top again so that it hides the unfinished edges and pins. Make a hanger out of ribbon or string and secure it to the ornament with pins or hot glue. Add a button with hot glue or pins to cover if you like!

Notes & Tips ::

– Fold all of your fabric squares into quarters first and secure each one with a pin to stay and crease. That way you don’t have to spend time folding each one as you go.

– This really is an easy project, once you get going, you’ll get the hang of it.

– You don’t have to use holiday fabric! Go with whatever you like or have on hand! Be creative!

– Here is a print friendly, PDF version of the instructions if you want to print this out and share it with friends.